Bad Company ~ Brian Howe Era

[Hydrazoic Acid]

Re: Bad Company~ Brian Howe Era

Brian Howe - in the top 10 of my favorite singers! His era in "Bad Co" - my favorite period in the work of this group. To my taste, in the albums with him there's no weak songs. None. In addition, Brian has two excellent solo albums - "Touch" and "Circus Bar". In general, I think he's one of the most underrated singers and songwriters in rock music. BRIAN RULES!!!

 

[Slip'nn2Darkness]

Re: Bad Company~ Brian Howe Era

^^^ Thanks guys for bringing up his solo stuff.. I've found a few vids to post so others can give it a listen..





^^ A cover of one of his own songs?? Really?? Hmmmmm







Some mellow stuff, but Brian's vocals works good with Ballads!!

 

[Sox]

I watched Bad Co with Brian Howe fronting them support Deep Purple about '86/'87. They put on a great show and although Paul Rodgers is one of my favourite singers I gotta say Brian was faultless, a brilliant night of music.

 

[stepcousin]

I hated 80's Bad Company when I first heard it (I grew up on the 70's stuff). I felt like it was heresy just to use the name (kinda like if The Firm used the Led Zeppelin name, uuggh right!). Over the years a few of the hits kinda grew on me and I realized it was very good 80's rock, up ther IMO with alot of the late 80's hair metal. A couple years ago I got some of the cd's and earlier this year I found some vinyl of the late 80's BC and I'm even more impressed now more than ever.

 

[Phil B.]

I hated 80's Bad Company when I first heard it (I grew up on the 70's stuff). I felt like it was heresy just to use the name (kinda like if The Firm used the Led Zeppelin name, uuggh right!). Over the years a few of the hits kinda grew on me and I realized it was very good 80's rock, up ther IMO with alot of the late 80's hair metal. A couple years ago I got some of the cd's and earlier this year I found some vinyl of the late 80's BC and I'm even more impressed now more than ever.

You pretty much summed up my feelings there. Holy Water is probably my favorite of the one's listed, but I only own that one. I may be biased.

 

[aeroplane]

Never really got into Rodgers-era Bad Company. So I can safely say that the Howe era was my favorite.

I don't think Robert Hart was too bad of a singer either (the guy who replaced Howe), though the two albums with him on vox could have been better.

I disagree with anyone saying he/Howe should quit singing the Rodgers BC songs, however. Correct me if I am wrong, but Howe has people coming to his solo concerts largely because of his work with Bad Company. Even though Howe recorded a lot of stuff with Bad Company that could easily fill a set list, there are also people showing up to his shows who want him to play some Bad Company classics.

 

[Fever]

The Robert Hart albums were pretty good.I liked Company Of Strangers

And if I go see Brian Howe solo I strictly want to hear Brian Howe Bad Company songs.If he was playing with other Bad Company members that's fine to play early Bad Company.But if you are playing Bad Company songs that you had nothing to do with then that is pretty much just a Bad Company tribute band.
Other course there will be people in the audience that don't even know that Brian didn't originally sing those songs and that's just sad.


Paul Rodgers had to reunite Bad Company to "protect the legacy they have built and cement the rights to the trademark Bad Company for touring" So I bet Howe was wanting to use the Bad Company name when he toured.Something like Brian Howe of Bad Company or Bad Company featuring Brian Howe.

 

[aeroplane]

Right, but given the amount of time Howe was in Bad Company, there were a lot of people who saw him perform live year after year for a long time and got used to the idea of him performing old Bad Company songs in concert.

Presumably these same sort of people are still going to the live shows today, because somehow I doubt Howe is pulling in mostly new teenage fans nowadays.

I understand where you are coming from and where others are coming from who also oppose the idea of Howe singing Paul Rodgers songs in his set.

The problem is that the average, everyday fan doesn't necessarily understand or even care about some of the politics that are involved between old and new lineups of the band. Nor do they pay much mind to legalities and the matter of what is right or wrong concerning the way Howe chooses to do business by milking songs written by Rodgers (which again I do not disagree with).

Quite honestly, many of these fans are expecting a Bad Company-centric show from a guy who used to sing for Bad Company. Thus what the fans what, the fans are obviously getting judging by the songs Howe has been playing in concert.

Take Tony Martin, for example, who used to sing for Black Sabbath. He still performs vintage Black Sabbath material live with his solo band (as in stuff created by Dio or Ozzy), in addition to songs he actually wrote with the group.

Not just Howe and Martin are doing this sort of thing, I could think of numerous examples (i.e. John Payne formerly of Asia, etc.).

 

[rocknrollcola]

It wasn't just Howe and other former band members they were trying to keep the name from being misused. At the time there were numerous Hip Hop/Rap and Electronica/Techno acts using the Bad Company name and these songs were coming up showing on internet radio as Bad Company and on top of that fans would pay money to a show that they thought they were seeing the classic Bad Company and instead it has nothing to do with rock music at all. I had the issue with this on the last.fm internet radio station and I know people who had the issue when they went to club shows and knew nothing about this.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

I have all those cds and thought they were pretty good,especially the last two.I saw this version of Bad Company on a tour with Damn Yankees.Terry Thomas co-wrote almost every song on these albums and was also a backing musician


I don't agree with Brian Howe going out on tour and doing the early Bad Company songs.Play the songs you were responsible but don't go out playing the early hits.Of course you will have the fans who won't know any different(which is sad).

I wouldn't give up Live Evil, with Dio doing classic Sabbath songs. But, Dio is a god , so maybe not that great a comparison.

I had every Bad Company CD at one time. Paul is THE singer for the group, but the Brian Howe era was great 80's hard rock and they had a lot of catchy tunes.

I played Holy Water over & over so much at the time, I drove everyone nuts.